Bedknobs and Broomsticks
by RowenaMcKinnon
Summary: On the verge of a pending war, the Ministry for Magic tries its best to distract the students of Hogwarts. Follows canon up to year 5. Re-write of story originally published in 2007.
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter had certainly lived an interesting life thus far, but he had not found his summer holiday to be one of his more thrilling experiences. He'd never really had very thrilling summer holidays; at least not the type most would suspect with holiday trips and fun. The excitement in his summer holidays only came with some sort of danger involving magic. He couldn't remember a time since he'd found out that he was a wizard that his summer hadn't turned upside down. This year however, seemed to be the exception. In truth, time seemed to have stood still for the majority of the summer holidays thus far. The most interesting thing that had occurred was when his cousin had accidentally set fire to the small semi-detached garage while filling the lawnmower with petrol. Harry very much suspected that Dudley had done so on purpose in an attempt to get out of having to the mow the small garden. Surprisingly, Dudley did not get his way and was required to finish the task after the flames had been quenched. It was a pretty sad state of affairs when the best moment of Harry's summer involved choking on acrid smoke as he laughed. The holidays here were finally waning though, and Harry sat in his small bedroom at number four, Privet Drive, scribbling on a piece of parchment. Perhaps it had been through Hermione's influence in getting him to think more before he acted, but he paused to consider his previous words before he continued on.

Downstairs, the sounds from the house could be heard. His uncle was going on about some political situation and, although Harry was barely paying attention, he overheard as his Uncle Vernon confused facts over and over again until they lost all meaning. His Aunt Petunia could be heard agreeing with her husband no matter how ludicrous his statements were. The lack of Dudley's whining made it seem that he was not present, and all Harry could hope was that whatever resident of the neighbourhood Dudley was targeting today would emerge relatively unscathed. This was how his summers usually were: stuck inside the stuffy house with his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon while his cousin Dudley ran about doing whatever he liked nearly all of the time. Though the past years had been tough on Harry, it seemed that his relatives were being less cruel this year, or perhaps they had at least realised that there was an undeniable wisdom in treating him fairly well. No, that didn't really suit either. Really, they just seemed to leave him alone most of the time. Dudley seemed to struggle the most with this change. Used to being the darling of the household, he had been unable to comprehend why it was that his orphaned, freakish cousin was allowed to skip chores that had once been his responsibility. But of course, that may have been due to the threats that had been stated quite firmly by Harry's friends. In fact, there was no question about it. The Dursleys had never been kind to him before, and it was obvious that their only motivation now was fear. They were still as strict as ever with him, but refrained from making their usual comments towards him and his kind.

It was getting close to the middle of the summer, and Harry was waiting anxiously for someone to arrive to retrieve him from Privet Drive. It was the only time during the summer that he looked forward to. Dumbledore had written to him to let him know that someone would be arriving with a particular password that evening to take him for the rest of the summer. He secretly hoped that it would be the Weasleys, so he could return to The Burrow and play a game or two of pick-up Quidditch with the Weasley boys. Though they did hang around number twelve, Grimmauld Place when Harry went to the Order's Headquarters, there just wasn't any suitable place to play Quidditch there, and they were still having trouble getting the portrait of Mrs. Black off the wall. Harry didn't particularly like going there for those reasons, and because the place always reminded him of his late godfather, Sirius Black.

Harry looked up from the letter he was writing to Ron, his best friend, and stared out at the blackened sky. The sky seemed devoid of all stars with even the moon seeming to have disappeared under the veil of black. His thin t-shirt was not proving to be adequately warm as the room had an unseasonable chill in it. It had after all been a summer of a nearly constant downpour. The result being that Harry had to rub his arms to try and rid them of gooseflesh. Though that kept him warm enough for a few minutes, he decided that it would be best to put on a long-sleeved shirt to shield his skin from the cold. He walked slowly towards his wardrobe and pulled the door open. Inside rested the items he most cared about; the things that reminded him of the only real home he had ever known, Hogwarts. Thinking of Hogwarts immediately brought thoughts of his two best friends in the world, Ron and Hermione. He didn't have a single happy memory that didn't include them in some way. They were the most important things in his life and he was glad to have them. He didn't know what his life would have been like without the two people who kept him grounded and reminded him of who he really was.

Harry turned away from the wardrobe as he pulled on the shirt he had selected and started to button it up as he walked back towards his small desk. Harry sighed softly before his eyes drifted to a photograph of his parents, Lily and James Potter. They looked so happy together, like they didn't have a care in the world. Picking up the picture frame, he stared longingly at the photograph. He wished that he could have had the chance to be with them, as they were, and have memories of it all. He always hated never knowing his parents. He would grasp at any piece of information people would give him about them. They were Head Boy and Girl at Hogwarts, they loved each other dearly, they had been happy together, and most of all, they had loved their son, Harry, very much.

Harry was suddenly brought out of his reverie by a loud bang and shouting coming from downstairs. Normally, Harry wouldn't have even bothered to go look, but he was sure that he heard a pop: the sound of someone Apparating. He set the picture frame down on the empty bedside table and set out to investigate, trying to make his way through the messy room. He took the stairs two by two with his wand in his hand, anxious to find out who it was that had arrived. The first glimpse he caught was of Dudley trying to hide behind his mother, which was quite the challenge, seeing as Dudley was almost four times the size of Petunia. It was apparent that he still had not got over the incident with Hagrid on Harry's eleventh birthday. Next, he saw a white faced Petunia, standing behind a very purple Vernon, who was sputtering incoherently at the arrival of a stranger in his home. When Harry turned the corner into the living room, he was met with the sight of a ragged-looking Remus Lupin trying to apologize to the Dursleys for his sudden appearance. Harry noticed as he watched the small group that Remus looked much thinner and more tired since the last time Harry had seen him.

"I apologize if I frightened any of you... Ah, Harry. There you are." Remus smiled softly when he spotted Harry standing just to the side of his relatives. "Professor Dumbledore's sent me to pick you up so hurry and get your things packed up. Oh, and I'm supposed to tell you that sherbet lemons are good for the soul."

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He smiled and immediately turned around to run back up the stairs. Once in his room, he pulled his trunk out of the closet and started throwing his things into it. Clothes, books, robes, his invisibility cloak, Firebolt, quills, parchment, potion supplies, and everything else he could carry. He grabbed the photograph from the bedside table and set it on top of everything. He made sure the trunk was closed and grabbed Hedwig's cage. She shrieked loudly when Harry almost knocked her cage into the doorframe. He apologised before he bounded down the stairs with his things, his large trunk thudding down each stair behind him. He knew he should have already been packed and ready to leave, but he didn't want to get his hopes up in the event that plans had to change at the last minute.

The Dursleys stood in silence as Remus smiled again at Harry before he waved his wand at Harry's belongings. The spot where his trunk and Hedwig in her cage had once stood was now empty. "I've sent them along ahead of us. We'll be travelling by Side-Along Apparation. I don't have the Advance Guard with me, so flying is not an option this time." Remus then pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. He seemed to be awaiting something but Harry couldn't figure out just what it could possibly be. "So, Harry, how has your summer been?"

"All right, I suppose. Not much to talk about really." Harry felt a bit awkward talking about his summer in front of the Dursleys. He never really enjoyed their company, and he didn't really want them to know he had been doing magical homework under their roof. Though, he had to admit, there wasn't much to talk about anyway. His summer had been relatively quiet for once.

"Ah, yes, I understand. Did you get all of your coursework done?" Harry suppressed a laugh at Remus' question. Trust a former teacher to ask about assignments.

"Nearly all of it." Harry glanced back at the Dursleys and saw Petunia's face twitch slightly but she didn't say anything. It couldn't make her feel comfortable to know he'd been working on magical homework. "That Euphoria Charm of Professor Flitwick's is difficult though. I think I've got the hang of the wand motion now."

"Ah, yes." Remus remembered with a smile, gazing wistfully up at the ceiling as he remembered a time when things were far simpler in his life. "The motion is difficult to master."

"Well that and the pronunciation," Harry answered, thinking of how ill tempered Hedwig had been after his first failed attempt. It wasn't Harry's fault though. She was the only thing he had to practice upon, not that he really could do much practicing seeing as he was unable to really perform magic outside of Hogwarts until he came of age.

"Indeed." Remus grimaced slightly. "Had a bit of trouble with it myself, made James sick as a dog the first time I tried it."

"Really?" Harry tried not to laugh as he pictured the Marauders on the fields of Hogwarts, practicing charms and spells.

Remus nodded as he recalled the misfired charm. It had been the very devil to clean up too. Somehow, Remus had managed to turn James blue instead. Even being the smartest student in their year, he'd still had a bit of trouble now and then with some of the more complicated charms. Remus checked his watch again as he continued on with conversation. "You've certainly grown since I saw you last." Harry shifted uncomfortably under Remus' penetrating gaze. "Have you started shaving?"

Harry was saved from having to answer when Remus' pocket watch chimed once. "Ah. Time to go. Take hold of my arm and hold on tightly." Remus held out his arm for Harry. He took Remus' arm without hesitation, knowing full well that the other inhabitants of Privet Drive would be unnerved by their sudden disappearance. However, Harry was used to seeing witches and wizards popping about randomly after staying with the Weasleys the summer after Percy had received his Apparation license. As Remus raised his wand, he and Harry turned on the spot, and suddenly, Harry felt as if there was something pressing at him from all directions, and he was unable to see a thing. It was a very unpleasant feeling, and he found that he could not breathe. The last thing he heard was the high pitched scream of his Aunt Petunia.

Almost as quickly as it had started, the feeling was gone, and Harry could feel the cool wind penetrating through the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing. The chill of the night seemed to sweep through him as he looked around at his surroundings. It appeared as though they were standing in the middle of a vast, empty field. Confusion and concern was etched into Harry's face as he glanced around. Could it have been possible that someone was impersonating Remus Lupin and had somehow gotten a hold of the password? He wasn't sure how else to explain the fact that they were standing in the middle of an empty valley with no other being or building in sight.

"Harry, you need to look a little closer to see it." Remus guided Harry down a rock path before he stopped suddenly and smiled. "Right there... Wandsworth Manor..."

As the name of the place entered into his ear, a large and beautiful house appeared only metres away. The building was truly a sight to behold and nearly took Harry's breath away. From what Harry could tell in the dark, it was a redbrick structure with corners and window frames in a golden brick. Off to the right-hand side was a conservatory that was dark at that time of night. The roof was a slate grey colour with trimmings and overhangs in white, and he could make out three separate chimneys. Remus guided Harry to the front porch and opened the front door to let him in.

Harry noticed that the front hall was sparsely decorated with a few wizard paintings of scenery here and there, but nothing specific, and one small table off to the side for setting things down when someone came in the door. The walls and ceiling were white and there was a large chandelier hanging above them. A grand staircase led up to the second floor with a beige coloured carpet. The place looked as though it was a museum rather than a house. The homes he had been used to were nothing like the one he was standing in that very moment. The Dursleys' place was small and had photographs of Dudley all over the place, the Weasleys' house was a jumbled tower of rooms with a cosy atmosphere and the aroma of Mrs. Weasley's cooking wafting from the kitchen, and Grimmauld Place was large, dark, and very dirty. Remus moved towards the staircase, beckoning Harry to follow him. As they walked along the hallways, Harry noticed they didn't look much different from the front hall: plain, boring, and sterile. He started to wonder about the witch or wizard who owned such a place. It seemed to have no character and even Grimmauld Place, with its gloomy and dark hallways and rooms had its own character. Wandsworth Manor could have been owned by anyone, given the lack of personalization the house had been given.

"Ah, here we are," Remus' voice suddenly sounded as he came to a halt in front of a door halfway along the hallway. Harry nearly ran straight into Remus when he had stopped. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed until the last moment. "This is your room, Harry."

The door was pushed open to reveal another disappointingly plain room, but at least this one had colour. Instead of the white walls and beige carpet, it had light brown walls with a dark green carpet. The bed had sheets that matched the walls in colour and were plain and striped. It looked almost similar to the room he had used during his stay at the Leaky Cauldron just before his third year. Glancing to the end of the bed, Harry spotted his trunk, upon which Hedwig's cage was perched. She sat atop of the cage and fluttered her wings. She gave a welcoming hoot before she took off out of the open window on her nightly hunt, obviously waiting to make sure Harry had arrived all right.

"Ron and Hermione have rooms just down the hall. Ron's is next to yours, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are in the hallway around the corner to the left, as are Tonks and myself. I'm sure Ron will be up to get you shortly so I shall leave you to unpack some of your things. We will be going to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies as soon as the letters arrive." Remus smiled before he left the room.

Harry sighed softly before he sat himself down beside his trunk at the end of the bed. This wasn't exactly what he had been hoping for this summer. He had desperately wanted to go to the Weasleys' so that they could play a couple games of Quidditch, and even de-gnome the garden. He had been looking forward to some normalcy, at least when it came to wizardry. Now, it seemed as though he was going to be stuck inside a stuffy house all summer, just like last year. All he could say was that at least this house didn't need the cleaning that Grimmauld Place had. He only wondered what Mrs. Weasley would come up for them to do while they were there.

It wasn't long before Harry heard the running, thudding footsteps of someone coming up the stairs, followed by a pair of lighter footsteps, which Harry assumed to be Hermione. He stood up quickly as the bedroom door flew open to reveal Ron's bright, smiling face. "Harry!"

Hermione was right behind Ron, not looking very pleased with him at the moment. She shook her head, scolding Ron a bit for being so loud. "Your sister is across the hallway, and you know she isn't feeling all that well."

"Rubbish. She's just been hiding in there, writing letters to Dean all summer. It's rather sick-making." Ron scrunched up his nose, showing obvious dislike that his sister was dating one of his mates from school. Truth was, Ron wasn't really keen on his sister dating anyone, but at least another Gryffindor was better than anyone else apparently.

Hermione sniffed a bit, not liking Ron's attitude at the moment. "Well, actually, Ronald, Ginny told me that she and Dean are going through a rough patch at the moment. It was something about his behaviour regarding her getting into danger all of the time with the three of us. Really, it's a bit stupid because she's only gone off with us once and her first year could hardly be counted since it could have happen even without us. Now, enough about your sister's love life. How has your summer been, Harry?"

"Err... It's been all right, I guess. Not very eventful. Got some coursework done..." Harry had been caught a bit off guard at the mention that Ginny's room was right across the hallway. It wasn't that it really mattered. He just hadn't thought, for some reason or another that Ginny would be there. It wasn't as if she had anywhere else to go while her family was here, but to be right across the hall... It seemed odd to him somehow. He supposed it had to do with all the times he had stayed with the Weasleys. She'd always been in a room on another floor.

"So mate, feeling up for a game of Quidditch tomorrow? There's a Quidditch pitch out back, and this place is far enough away from Muggles for us to play without being caught. Of course, it's also unplottable too." As soon as Ron mentioned the word Quidditch, Harry immediately felt better about staying at a place he had never been before. It seemed as though his plans for the summer were coming together better than he had imagined they would.

For the rest of the night, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed up and talked about Harry's favourite subject: Quidditch. Mostly it was Ron and Harry talking while Hermione flipped through one of Harry's old textbooks, interjecting occasionally with a question or a comment. It was close to eleven when Hermione left the two boys and headed off to bed. The two boys continued talking late into the night.

Early the very next morning, there was a loud knock on Harry's bedroom door. He and Ron had fallen asleep while talking. Ron seemed to have curled up at the end of the bed with the comforter bunched up as a pillow and was snoring away. Harry pulled himself off the bed, careful not to wake Ron, and wandered over to the door. He was still drowsy from sleep with his glasses slightly askew as he pulled the door open. Standing there in a pair of red shorts and a white t-shirt was Ron's youngest and only sister, Ginny. She smiled brightly at him.

"Hello, Harry. Glad to see you made it here all right last night. Sorry I didn't welcome you last night. I wasn't really feeling well and went to bed early." Ginny smiled softly. "Up for a game of Quidditch? Fred and George are already at the pitch batting around a Bludger. Charlie just arrived this morning, and I know he'd love to play as Seeker against you. Ron wasn't in his room so I figured he'd be in here. We thought that a good game of Quidditch would work up an appetite for breakfast. You know how much Mum always cooks." It was then that Harry noticed she had a broom in her hand.

He smiled a bit before he nodded. It would be best to get out and play at least one good round of Quidditch. He was sure that it would take his mind off things he had been dwelling on all summer. Ginny nodded and told him she would meet him and Ron out back at the pitch. Harry glanced over at Ron once Ginny had left, then walked over to his trunk. He rummaged through the quickly and poorly packed items held within it before he found his broom and pulled it out. He glanced back into the trunk, thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to tidy it up a bit later. It wouldn't do to have things falling over and breaking inside.

Harry quickly woke Ron up and they both changed for the game. Harry went bounding down the stairs, heading for the back of the large manor. It felt good to look forward to something positive for once that summer. He really hadn't been looking forward to school, though it was the only thing that would get him away from the Dursleys. He was sure that everyone had heard of his adventures the previous year, and he didn't want to face the questions that might come his way once people learned of the events that happened at the Ministry. Harry immediately shook off the negative thoughts when Ginny came into view. She had waited for him in the backyard, knowing how long it took Ron to get up and out of the door in the mornings. They walked silently together until the pitch came into view.

"Oy! Harry! Good to see you," Fred shouted as he hit the Bludger with a solid blow.

"Have a good summer?" George asked as he dived to avoid the Bludger that headed towards him. It never ceased to amaze him how much the twins were in sync with each other.

Harry didn't get the chance to answer as he heard Ron and Hermione jogging towards them, followed by Bill and Charlie. Ron, Hermione, Bill and Charlie all had broomsticks in their hands. Hermione was the only one who looked a bit unsure about playing anything on a broom. Flying was one of the very few things she never seemed to excel at, no matter how hard she tried.

"Glad to see you're up for a game, Harry. I hear you're quite the Seeker for Gryffindor. I was once a good Seeker myself." Charlie beamed proudly. Harry had heard that he had been the best Seeker that Gryffindor had ever had, until Harry arrived that is.

Once everyone had arrived, they split off into teams. Fred, Bill, Harry, and Ron played on one team; Charlie, Hermione, Ginny, and George played on the other. Bill took up the position of Chaser for his team and Hermione bravely tried to play as Keeper. Though Ron tried his best, Ginny was just a great Chaser, seeming to anticipate Ron's moves before he made them and easily kept her team in the lead, even with Hermione's horrible attempts at playing the game. If Harry's team were to win, he knew he'd have to catch the Snitch.

Suddenly, he spotted it and started into a steep dive. The wind rushed past Harry's ears as he sped towards the ground, realising he'd spotted the Snitch before Charlie. This was where he felt most at home: soaring and diving through the air on his Firebolt. Harry reached forward and felt his hand grasp around the tiny metal ball before he pulled up on his broom. The other players clapped from their brooms as they landed. Charlie was especially impressed with Harry's skills. Quidditch was a great release, and Harry was thankful for the distraction.

"Well done. I see exactly why McGonagall put you on the team in your first year," Charlie commended him. "I think I'm getting a bit too old to do those dives anymore."

"No, it's probably just because you spend all your time with dragons rather than on a broomstick, Charlie." Ginny grinned softly as she looked up at her brother. Charlie ruffled Ginny's hair as she made a face at him, showing that she was annoyed with the sign of brotherly affection.

"So, Gin Gin, how are things? Mum told me you've been ill, but Ronniekins seems to think you're up to something." Charlie wrapped one of his arms around Ginny's shoulder and pulled her to him as she started to turn a bit pink with embarrassment.

"Well, Ron also seems to think that I'm still eleven years old, and even if I was up to something, you know I wouldn't tell." Ginny laughed as Charlie let her go, trying to act offended that his own sister wouldn't trust him with information.

Harry glanced around while Charlie continued to pretend to be hurt and noticed that Hermione and Ron had disappeared somewhere. "Umm... where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Oh. Darned if I know. Those two have been sneaking off together since we all arrived here... and Ron wonders why I stick to myself. I really don't want to end up walking in on them snogging, or something equally as gross." Ginny made a disgusted face at the thought of her brother snogging... well, anyone. Charlie made his way over to the eldest Weasley brother, Bill, as Ginny spoke with Harry.

"Snogging? Ron and Hermione?" The thought had never crossed Harry's mind. Could it be possible that his two best friends had become a couple while he had been stuck at Privet Drive? He wasn't sure why, but he found the idea slightly unsettling. He had never really thought of Hermione in that way and had been pretty sure Ron hadn't either. She may have been a girl, but she was their friend. It left an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach to think of them being even slightly more than friends. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was he was feeling, but he wondered for a moment if it was jealousy.

"I wouldn't be too surprised if they were. Ron was going on about her all summer before she arrived. Only after I threatened to mention his constant blather to Hermione herself did he shut up. Why don't we head in? I'm sure Mum's already got breakfast on the table. It's possible Ron and Hermione just went on ahead of us." Ginny smiled slightly.

Harry nodded in response and led the way back towards the manor. He still couldn't get the unsettling feeling out of the pit of his stomach. He couldn't really understand why he felt the way he did, and he tried to think of every option. The only conclusion he could come up with was that he was jealous, but of what, he wasn't sure. He wondered to himself if he was jealous that Ron and Hermione had become a couple while he was away, or whether it was because it was Ron who was with Hermione rather than himself. He couldn't understand where the feeling was coming from. He'd never looked at Hermione as more than a friend, but now that Ron seemed interested, he was feeling uneasy about it.

The moment Harry stepped into the kitchen of Wandsworth Manor, he could smell the aroma of a freshly cooked breakfast of crumpets, bacon, eggs, toast, hash browns, and sausages. The scent brought a welcome smile to his lips and distracted his thoughts almost instantly. Mrs. Weasley always out did herself, preparing breakfast for her large family. Every morning, without fail, Mrs. Weasley would be in the kitchen, cooking up a feast to feed her seven children, her husband, any guests, and herself. It was one of the many things Harry always looked forward to when he stayed with the Weasleys. Having grown up in a not so loving household, Harry had never had the chance to experience a pleasant family meal. Harry barely noticed when Ginny brushed past him to get into the kitchen. He stood silently as he watched her set her broom by the door and wash up so she could help Mrs. Weasley with breakfast. Mrs. Weasley placed dish after dish on the large dining table, each overflowing with delectable home cooking. Ginny was busy adding the cutlery to the plates already set on the table. Harry came to the assumption that Ginny often helped her mother in the kitchen, as they never managed to bump into each other even once while setting the table.

"Ginny, dear, go call your brothers for breakfast. They should be well washed up by now," Molly chimed as Arthur walked slowly into the kitchen, yawning in response to the early hour. When Ginny had called him for Quidditch, he hadn't even looked at a clock, but now realized that it must have been quite early as he noticed the clock now read nine o'clock in the morning. Ginny disappeared out of the kitchen door just as Ron and Hermione walked in through the back. Harry glanced at them for a moment before he sat down at the table in an empty seat. Hermione and Ron quickly moved and sat across from him at the table. They didn't seem to be acting strangely, but Harry knew that didn't mean they weren't up to something.

Harry was interrupted from his thoughts as Charlie and Ginny arrived in the kitchen, followed by Bill, Fred and George. When Remus finally joined the table, they were allowed to start their meal. "So sorry for being late, Molly. Tonks wanted me to tell you that she wouldn't be down for breakfast. Dumbledore needed her early, and she didn't have time to stay." Remus spoke as he passed the crumpets to Arthur.

"Err… what did he need Tonks for?" Harry stared at Remus, awaiting an answer, but Remus simply smiled at him.

"Just a little something that the Ministry is planning that Dumbledore is a part of. Don't worry about it. You'll find out soon enough." Harry's eyes fell on Charlie as he spoke with a knowing grin. It was slightly irritating and reminded him a bit of his fourth year when the Triwizard Tournament had happened. The tournament had been rather secretive too.

From that moment on, breakfast returned to its normal course of events with the twins teasing Ron about something ridiculous and Molly fussing over how thin Harry was while trying to serve him up a third helping of eggs. This was what Harry had missed most in the world while he was staying at Privet Drive. He never got to experience a loving family environment like he did with the Weasleys, and he was glad to be a part of it, even if it was only unofficially. They had welcomed him into their family with open arms and no questions asked. He couldn't have asked for anything better. Whenever he was around the Weasleys, he always felt like he was at home. Harry loved watching the Weasleys interact with each other. It was not hard to tell how much they cared for each other, even when they were teasing or yelling.

As Harry looked over each of the Weasleys, his eyes fell on Hermione and Ginny. They had their heads together and were whispering in hushed, quick words. His thoughts immediately returned to their earlier reflections. He was now sure that something was going on. He hadn't even known Hermione and Ginny to be close before. He watched silently with a calculating gaze as the two girls continued to whisper to each other. Suddenly, Hermione looked up at Harry and smiled slightly before she turned back to Ginny. Their conversation ended only seconds later. He wasn't sure if he was being paranoid, or if they really were up to something. He supposed his feelings could have been attributed to the fact that nothing odd or exciting had happened to him so far during the summer months.

Breakfast finished up quickly, owing to the fact that many of the Weasley men had jobs to attend to and Mrs. Weasley wanted to get a head start on the daily chores. While Mrs. Weasley collected the breakfast dishes from the table with the help of Ron and Ginny, Hermione took Harry by the arm and led him outside to the back porch. They sat down on the lounge chairs while they waited for Ron and Ginny to finish up. Harry glanced over at Hermione as he contemplated asking her what was going on. It didn't take him long to decide what to do.

"Hermione, what is going on around here? You and Ron are always disappearing together, and then at breakfast, you and Ginny were whispering to each other." Hermione looked at Harry, surprised. He tried to decipher whether she was surprised that he asked, or surprised at the question itself.

"Well, Harry, Ron and I are simply getting along for once and spending time together... You only just got here last night so it's not like we've been disappearing together all the time. We went to this spot in the woods we found after Quidditch and that was it. We were planning to take you there later today. And as for whispering with Ginny, we've become friends, and well... that's what girls do." Hermione didn't sound very convincing, and Harry wasn't entirely sure he believed her. "I didn't realize it all seemed odd to you. I suppose being cooped up in here while you've been with your family... Well, with Ginny being the only girl here... we just sort of bonded, and Ron's been the only other person to hang around with... You know that I don't really get on well with the twins and their constant need to bend and break rules… Everyone else is really a bit too old… I suppose if Percy was on speaking terms with his family and he were here, we'd have interesting conversation..."

Harry smiled gently and nodded. He wasn't sure if it explained everything, but he wasn't sure he really wanted to know why Ron and Hermione had snuck off together that morning. There were just some things that were better left unknown. He glanced over at Hermione for a moment and watched her as she gazed out at the field behind the manor. He had to admit to himself that she really was rather pretty. He wondered silently why he had never noticed before.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a week since Harry had arrived at Wandsworth Manor. He had seen Order members come and go, and watched as Hermione, Ron, and Ginny would disappear at times in a pair, leaving one behind to keep Harry company. If he was honest, it was starting to grate on his nerves, but instead he pretended not to notice. It was more than obvious to him now that they were up to something that they didn't want Harry included in. He started a gradual withdrawal from his friends that lasted until the day of his birthday. He and Ron were sitting in the living room, playing a game of wizard's chess when Hermione and Ginny walked into the room with identical smiles on their faces. It was that very moment that confirmed it for Harry – they had been up to something! Hermione took the seat next to Harry and faced him as she spoke.

"I know we haven't been around too much lately and I know you would have had to have noticed by now that something is going on..." Hermione stopped speaking as she, Ron, and Ginny stood up. She grabbed Harry's hands and tugged him up out of the chair, leading him towards the kitchen. "We just wanted you to know that, well... we weren't trying to exclude you from anything... Not really... It's just that -" As Hermione spoke, she pushed the kitchen door open.

"SURPRISE!" The shout came as soon as Harry caught a glimpse of the room. It was decorated with streamers, balloons and a large banner that sparkled, spelling out the words 'Happy Birthday Harry'. Harry glanced around at everyone standing in the kitchen. Among those who were staying at the manor, he saw many faces he recognised including Mad-Eye Moody, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Professor McGonagall. Harry felt a sort of relief as though a weight had been lifted. His friends had been hiding something from him all along, but it was only for his birthday.

"Surprise Harry," Hermione said as she smiled at him coyly. "We've been planning your birthday party. We figured you probably had never really had one before and we wanted to arrange a really good one for you. We even got special permission to invite the Gryffindors from our year, and Luna. I'm not really sure how Dumbledore managed it, but sometimes it's best not to question it."

"It was Ginny's idea." Harry glanced back at Ron's words and smiled at Ginny as Luna Lovegood was pulling her away. Hermione and Ron led Harry into the room as a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' sprung up around him, being led by Mrs. Weasley. Harry was speechless and slightly dumbfounded. He certainly hadn't been expecting this. He was so touched that his friends would do something like this for him. There was a small pile of presents stacked on a dresser off to the side of the room and a large birthday cake was situated in the centre of the kitchen table. Mrs. Weasley had cooked many appetizing dishes, which had been placed on the table around the delicious-looking cake.

This was the first time Harry had ever really truly had a birthday party. Not once in the years he'd been at the Dursleys' had they given him even a small gift. It seemed as though his friends had really gone all out, trying to give him what he'd never had, even since he'd met them. With each progressing year, it seemed as though it never would happen, but this year, Ginny had been the one to jump start the party into life.

"Excuse me Harry, may I have a word with you?" Harry looked up to see Dumbledore standing beside him. He nodded slowly and followed the Headmaster back into the sitting room he'd come from. They sat down on two of the couches before Dumbledore spoke again.

"Marvellous place, isn't it? Emmeline Vance has been gracious enough to lend us her home until we have sorted out Grimmauld Place. As you may know, Harry, Sirius has left all of his possessions as well as Grimmauld Place to you. We did not ask you this past year if we could use it for the Order because I knew how deeply Sirius's death had affected you. I did not want to put you into a position to make such a decision until I was sure that you were ready. Since that time, so much has happened that I haven't yet had the opportunity to speak with you about it."

"Professor, I… You can keep using it as Headquarters," said Harry. "It's what Sirius would have wanted. I don't… I don't care." Harry's last statement didn't sound very convincing to anyone. Professor Dumbledore just smiled at him and patted his knee. The man always had an uncanny ability to really see the thoughts and emotions of everyone he came in contact with. Harry really did care about Grimmauld Place, and he wanted the Order to continue to use it because it had meant so much to Sirius and now to him as well.

"There is just one detail we are not completely sure of just yet. It concerns the house-elf known as Kreacher. We know that the house itself will pass to you without issue, but Kreacher is another matter entirely. Because you are not a blood relative, we are uncertain as to whether you have become his master and if he will obey you. If that is not the case, Grimmauld Place will not be able to be used. His ownership could have passed along the blood lines to the next Black relative which could be either Bellatrix LeStrange or Narcissa Malfoy. As you can imagine, both cases would prevent the house from being used by the Order," Dumbledore explained. "Kreacher could easily betray our information and location to the Death Eaters, which would be disastrous. He knows too much already and if he has not passed into your possession, we shall have to do something with him to prevent him from going to his new master."

"Well, what can I do?" Harry asked, anxious to solve the problem. Clearly they had use of Emmeline Vance's home, but it was nowhere near as secure as Grimmauld Place had been.

"A simple test." Dumbledore called Kreacher forth by snapping his fingers and the house-elf appeared. Kreacher grumbled and shouted at Dumbledore for disturbing him. "I need you to give him an order to follow to determine if his ownership has also passed to you. If he has passed into your ownership, he has to obey any order you give him."

"I won't, I won't listen to half-blood brat!" Kreacher screamed before he continued to make loud undistinguishable howling and screeching noises. He was making so much noise that Harry was having a hard time thinking of some order he could give him. Kreacher was making so much noise that Ron and Hermione stuck their heads into the room to see what was going on. The two of them came in, leaving the party guests in the kitchen. Anger bubbled inside of Harry as Kreacher continued to yell and scream. Harry finally had had enough.

"Kreacher, shut up!" He yelled over the house-elf and suddenly he went quiet. Harry looked at the elf who was sending him a death glare that could wilt the prettiest flower. "Well, I guess that settles it but what am I going to do with him? I don't really want him."

"Well, obviously you have to keep him," Hermione spoke up as she walked over and took a seat beside Harry. Kreacher let out a muffled scream, unable to say anything as much as he wanted to. "What about sending him to Hogwarts? It would be our best chance at keeping him away from the Death Eaters and Sirius's other family. Dobby's there and he could keep an eye on him and Winky too if she's feeling better."

"I think that sounds like a marvellous idea. I'm not sure why I didn't think of it myself." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with a knowing look.

"Um, well then, Kreacher, go work in the kitchens at Hogwarts," Harry commanded. Kreacher gave Harry a withering glare before he disappeared, following the orders given to him.

"Well, I suppose that wraps everything up. The only thing left to do is rejoin that splendid party you have going on." Dumbledore got up and winked at Harry before walking back into the kitchen.

Hermione and Ron looked at Harry, waiting for him to explain what had happened. It wasn't the best time to ask as the sting was still fresh, but he decided to share with them anyway. "Sirius's will. He left everything to me, including Kreacher."

"Well, I think we'd gathered that much but are you alright?" Hermione asked as she stood up from her seat on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Harry answered, looking thoughtful. "What am I going to do with all of his stuff?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something. I'm sure he wanted you to have it because you're the closest thing he had to family. Grimmauld Place will still be used for the Order meetings, so that's something. You don't have to decide what to do with all of it now. You've got lots of time." Hermione seemed so sure of herself but Harry couldn't say the same. He wasn't very sure he would make it out of this war alive. There was no way of knowing if it was going to be him or Voldemort that survived.

The trio moved back into the kitchen after giving Harry some time to breathe and think. There was a lot going on in his head at the moment and he needed that time to get refocused on the party at hand. As soon as they entered into the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley immediately carted Harry off towards the kitchen table, where the candles on the birthday cake seemed to light of their own accord as she sat him down at the table. The witches and wizards that were attending his party started up a roaring chorus of 'Happy Birthday'.

"Make a wish, Harry." Hermione smiled at him as he half stood in order to reach all the candles. He took a deep breath and blew out as many of them as he could after wishing for the one thing he wasn't sure he could ever have: a normal life. He was tired of being 'The Chosen One' and all the fame, good and bad, that came with it. He wanted to just be a normal wizard, not having to worry about an impending war at hand. He stood back as Mrs. Weasley approached the cake with a knife.

The cake was quickly cut and slices were passed around to all the guests. Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself yet again. The cake was absolutely delicious and the party was in full swing. It seemed like all of Harry's friends had turned out to the party and he was immensely glad for it. It wasn't every year he got to celebrate his birthday with a party and friends outside of the Weasleys and Hermione.

As the party started to slow down and most of the Order members who weren't needed had left, Harry felt like he had talked to everyone in attendance, and it was more than likely that he had. His most interesting conversation not surprisingly, had to have been with Luna. She was always full of interesting tales about imaginary creatures and events. She had described her latest trip with her father to Romania in search of something called a Chubblewump. She had described it as a sort of pygmy dragon with feathers instead of scales. It was good to know that some things just didn't change while he was away at his Aunt and Uncle's. The two of them stood by the sink as they chatted.

"Oh dear... It looks like Ginny and Dean are at it again..." Luna's misty voice interrupted Harry's thoughts and he glanced over to where Ginny and Dean were standing. Sure enough, it looked as though they were in the middle of a row. In hopes of breaking it up and keeping the peace, Harry stepped closer until he could hear the words coming from each of them. He paused once he heard his name, curious as to what they were arguing about.

"Honestly! Have you no consideration? This is Harry's birthday, and here you are, starting up again about all that nonsense. I am not incapable of taking care of myself, and you'd do well to remember that," Ginny argued as quietly as she could, while still getting her point across.

"I know you can take care of yourself, but I'm not going to let you go off and do something dangerous again." Dean didn't look as though he was going to back off any time soon. Harry leaned a bit closer, his interest now peaked.

"Not going to let me?" It was at this point that Harry knew Dean was in trouble. He had seen that look in Ginny's eyes before, and if it weren't for the fact that they were not allowed to do magic outside of school, Dean may very well have ended up on the receiving end of Ginny's famous Bat-Bogie Hex. Though, in all honesty, Harry wasn't sure Ginny wouldn't do it anyway. Judging from the expression on Dean's face, even he knew he'd gone too far. "Dean, if you don't stop trying to control me, I will take measures into my own hands."

"And do what? Run off with Harry again? Try to get yourself killed?" It seemed that Dean figured if he was in trouble, he might as well dive in head first. The look on Ginny's face as he spoke said volumes of how she was about to react.

"Maybe I will. In case you hadn't noticed, there's a war that's starting and this is the way things are going to be." There was a dangerous flash in Ginny's eyes that was daring Dean to say something in return. It was obvious he was on the verge of crossing a line that should not be crossed with Ginny Weasley and that line was getting thinner and finer every time Dean opened his mouth.

"Something you always like doing, isn't it? Running off with Harry." Harry started to wonder if maybe it was his Gryffindor bravery that kept him going. Ginny looked as though she was ready to murder him, but he kept on with the argument where Harry was sure others would have already backed down.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ginny crossed her arms over her chest as she waited for an answer.

"It means that every time I turn around, you're running off with him somewhere."

"I hardly think one trip to the Ministry constitutes as every time. Don't exaggerate. He's my brother's best friend." Ginny let out a frustrated huff. "You know what, perhaps after you wish Harry a 'Happy Birthday', you'd better leave. I don't like these accusations you're throwing about. If there's anyone who should be throwing accusations around, it should be me. Don't think I haven't noticed the way Parvati's been hanging around you this whole time. There is nothing going on between Harry and myself. I participated in one battle with Hermione, Ron, Neville and Luna along for the trip as well so your accusations are not warranted here."

This time, Ginny didn't bother waiting for an answer before she stormed out of the room. Harry hadn't realised things were so bad between the couple. In fact, he wasn't really aware they had been dating until the end of his fifth year on the train ride home. Hermione had hinted that they'd been arguing a lot but he'd never imagined it was to such a high degree and over such serious issues. He didn't imagine that the couple would last much longer if they didn't resolve whatever the problem was between them.

Harry was just about to go after Ginny when Hermione came up and looped her arm with his, directing him towards Ron, Lavender, and Seamus. As he was pulled into their conversation, he slowly forgot about the seething Ginny sitting up in her room.

"We're really glad to see you, Harry. I mean, outside of school. We just don't get a chance to get together; it's always you, Ron and Hermione." Lavender batted her eyelashes at Ron as she continued. "We should get together more often if we can."

It was obvious to Harry that Lavender was talking to Ron, rather than everyone at that moment. Harry's sideways glance saw Hermione scowling slightly at Lavender. He felt Hermione's arm tighten slightly around his as Lavender continued her blatant flirting with an oblivious Ron. He just didn't seem to process the fact that Lavender was staring at him with adoring eyes. Normally, Harry wasn't that perceptive himself but she was being so obvious about it that everyone around them were looking at Ron and waiting for him to respond to her.

"Harry, Parvati and I need to be going." Harry glanced back once he heard his name, and saw Dean and Parvati standing off to the side. Parvati was smiling at Harry, while Dean still looked a bit put out as he wished him "Happy Birthday". It was clear that he was taking Ginny's advise and leaving before things got even uglier than they already had.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," Parvati exclaimed as she waved on her way out of the door, however, she looked as though she really didn't want to leave.

Mrs. Weasley started to clean up in the kitchen after all of Harry's friends had gone home, leaving only a few mingling adults, including a couple who had engaged an unwilling Ron in conversation. Ginny had come back downstairs and was helping her mother clean up, so Hermione and Harry decided to take a walk out into the garden. It was still early and the sun hadn't set but casted a golden glow across the field behind the house. They continued their walk in virtual silence until they came to the edge of the woods, where they stopped. Hermione turned to Harry, an odd look crossing her features.

"It doesn't get any easier, does it? Every year, more bad things happen. I'm scared for you, Harry. I'm scared for all of us, but especially you. I have this horrible feeling that not all of us are going to make it through. I don't even want to think of who it will be. I don't want it to happen, of course, but the war is coming. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I care about you Harry. You're one of my best friends and I love you." Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck and hugged him tightly. As they pulled away, a rather pink-cheeked Hermione said rather quietly, "I don't want you to ever forget that," before placing a kiss on Harry's cheek.

"I won't. I promise." Harry wasn't sure what made him do it, but in the next moment, he had pressed his lips to Hermione's. He found that the kiss was rather nice, and vastly different from the one with Cho, though it did help that Hermione wasn't crying.

The kiss broke off only a moment later when the sound of a twig snapping brought both of them back to reality. Harry glanced at Hermione's face and noticed that she was looking rather distressed, but she wasn't looking at him. Harry turned towards the direction of her gaze and immediately knew what was wrong. Ron was standing only yards away with a dark expression on his face before he turned around and headed back to the house. Unsure of what to do, Harry looked to Hermione for guidance. They locked eyes for a moment then Hermione went running after Ron, leaving Harry to stare after the both of them. He watched silently as they argued before Ron continued to storm off, leaving Hermione behind. She stood there, motionless so Harry slowly walked to Hermione. He could see tears glistening in her eyes.

"He... he's angry with us. Of course, he won't say why..." Hermione blinked away the tears before they fell. It wasn't easy for any of them when they were fighting.

"He'll get over it. You know he will." Harry tried to reassure her, but he wasn't so convinced of it himself. He'd known Ron to hold a grudge during an argument for months. It wasn't his first experience with the Weasley temper and he doubted it would be the last.

"I know..." sighed Hermione as they walked back towards the house together."I just hate the three of us being torn apart by stupid little things or misunderstandings. We should be sticking together. A war is starting. We need each other. Ron should just talk to us and tell us why he's angry so that we can sort it all out."

"Hermione, I promise it will be fine. We just need to give Ron a couple of days." Harry hoped that he was right because if he was completely honest, he had no idea why Ron was so upset.

When they arrived back inside, Harry looked over at Ron, who was talking quietly to his sister. She glanced over Ron's shoulder at them with an unreadable expression on her face. Ron glanced back at them as well before whispering to Ginny again. She looked over at them again and Harry could see the unmistakeable expression of disappointment on her face as she looked him in the eyes. It was almost as if she knew something more than he did. Harry couldn't help but wonder if that really was the case.

Ginny pushed Ron gently towards the stairs, guiding him away from Harry and Hermione. Once Ron was out of sight, Harry approached Ginny. Hermione saw this as an opportunity to escape from the tension in the room and she quickly disappeared upstairs as well, presumably to the room she was staying in.

"Ginny," Harry started out but she held up her hand, stopping Harry from saying anything else.

"No. Don't start, Harry. I've had enough of these arguments today. I think that you need to think over what's more important to you and make a decision because this isn't right, Harry." She turned and headed up the stairs as well.

It seemed to be official. Harry had no idea what was going on and it was clear that Ginny had some kind of knowledge of the situation that Harry simply didn't have. Ron was most assuredly angry with both him and Hermione and Ginny seemed to know exactly why. She was also not too happy with him over it. Harry got the sudden feeling that it was going to be a long summer.


	3. Chapter 3

The weeks following the kiss seemed to drag on for a lifetime, and there wasn't a single moment that passed that didn't include either Ron and Hermione bickering or complete silence between the young quartet. Ever since Harry's birthday party, Ron had been acting oddly and Harry had hardly seen Ginny or Ron at all. They always seemed to disappear and neither Harry nor Hermione could explain their odd behaviour. Hermione was almost certain that it was to do with the fact that she and Harry had become a couple, but Harry couldn't see why that would bother Ron in the least. He did wonder if perhaps Ginny might still harbour feelings for him which would explain her behaviour. Hermione was quick to explain to him that wasn't the case as she had moved on from her crush.

Late into the summer, Harry, Ron and Hermione received their OWLs results. Hermione had done the best out of the three of them, receiving all "O"s except for an "E" in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry had done poorly in only two of the subjects but the biggest disappointment was getting an "E" in Potions, which derailed his plans to become an Auror. Snape required an "O" to go on to NEWT level Potions, which were required to become an Auror. He could only hope that all his dealings with Voldemort would lend to the training and they would overlook the lack of required schooling. Tucked in with their list and OWL results was a note to all of the students informing them that there would be a special announcement at the start of term feast.

The time seemed to fly by in the days leading up to the Diagon Alley trip. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley planned to take all four of them to Diagon Alley as soon as they received their letters. It was two weeks before the start of school when they finally arrived and Mrs. Weasley bustled about, getting them ready as quickly as possible for their shopping trip. While she tried to hide it, Harry could see that Mrs. Weasley was anxious about stepping foot in Diagon Alley. Nowhere seemed to be safe anymore, especially public places. Death eaters could be lurking anywhere. Mr. Weasley spoke with her quietly, trying to calm her fears but Harry could see that she didn't want them to go.

The Ministry for Magic sent a car for their trip, ensuring Harry got there in one piece. After what seemed to be a very short ride, the group found themselves at The Leaky Cauldron and out the back door to Diagon Alley. Ron and Ginny dragged Mr. Weasley down the street, heading towards Flourish and Blotts. The alley was not as bright and colourful as it once had been. Shop windows were covered with "Wanted" posters for various Death Eaters or advice from the Ministry on staying safe in these dark and difficult times and a few shops were boarded up, including Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. It gave Diagon Alley an eerie and almost dangerous atmosphere that was reminiscent of being in Knockturn Alley.

Mrs. Weasley directed Harry and Hermione towards the apothecary first. Neither Harry nor Ron had managed to get an "O" in Potions on his OWLs, so the only one of the trio that would be taking the class was Hermione. Mrs. Weasley made her way inside the store and while she was purchasing potions ingredients for Hermione and Ginny's upcoming year, Hermione pulled Harry aside to talk to him about the situation with Ron.

"Hermione, I just don't understand why it would upset Ron if we were together. I would have thought he would be happy for us. He has to know that we would abandon him as a friend."

"Well, Harry, maybe that is exactly what he thinks is going to happen. He's sort of become a third wheel without wanting to. We really didn't even ask him how he'd feel about it, not that we really had to... We didn't consider his feelings about this before we jumped right in." Hermione sighed as they exited the shop and walked towards Flourish and Blotts to purchase their schoolbooks for the year.

"Hermione, Ron's our friend, but why should anything that's between us have anything to do with him. He should be happy for us, shouldn't he?" Harry asked.

"Things can be much more complicated than that. I think we may just have to let this play out as it's meant to. Things will work out one way or another. It will just take some time," Hermione answered. It was clear she really didn't know the answer to Harry's question but she wanted to give him some sort of hope that it would all work out in the end. "Ron and Ginny just need time and we should give it to them. They're family looking out for one another."

Harry hadn't thought about it that way. He didn't have any siblings and Dudley had always treated him more like the gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe rather than a brother. In fact, Harry had always been Dudley's favourite punching bag. Harry had no idea what it was like to have someone like a brother or sister, and he realised that as much as he could try, he would never truly understand the bond between Ron and Ginny. The Weasleys were the closest thing he had ever had to a real family, and Ron was almost like a brother. It was as close as he would ever get.

"Oy! Harry!" Harry turned at the sound of his name and saw Seamus and Dean waving and walking towards him.

"Sorry I couldn't stay long at your party," said Dean. "Ginny was in a right foul mood and I didn't want to end up on the receiving end of one of her curses. I think she was already angry with me for... well, I'm not sure what, but when I left with Parvati, it looked as if she was ready to spit fire."

"I honestly don't know how you two are going to manage to stay together if you keep that up," Hermione interjected.

"Actually, we split up just a few minutes ago. I kept getting the feeling from her that she would rather be unattached. That, and we were fighting like cat and dog near the end." Dean admitted, shrugging his shoulders and sounding a bit dejected.

"Oh, Dean, I'm so sorry to hear that," Hermione spoke up.

"It's alright, I guess. Best not to dwell on it and all," Dean replied quickly. It was clear that he didn't want to talk about the situation.

"She's one gorgeous lass, if I do say so myself," Seamus remarked. "Been thinking about asking her to Hogsmeade when we get back to school. Of course, if it's all right with you, Dean. From the looks of it though, there's going to be lots of competition." Seamus nodded towards the front of Quality Quidditch Supplies where Ginny was standing outside talking to a small handful of boys, one of whom Harry recognized as Zacharias Smith.

"I didn't realise she was so popular..."

"Blimey Harry, where have you been? Surely you've noticed. You practically spend the entire summer with her and her family every year." Seamus was looking at Harry with wide eyes.

Harry looked to Hermione for help, but it was apparent that he wasn't going to get any. Hermione was too busy looking at Ginny with a calculated glance, as if she was trying to figure out some puzzle. "She's just Ron's little sister..." When it looked as if Dean and Seamus were about to argue with his statement, Harry cut them off before they said a word. "Hermione and I had better get going. We still have loads of supplies to get. We'll see you on the train."

Harry and Hermione turned away as Dean and Seamus headed towards Quality Quidditch Supplies, whilst they walked into Flourish and Blotts. There wasn't as much of a crowd in the store as they had expected and they were able to get their school books quickly. Hermione mused that it was likely very few people were out and about as they once would have been. With another wizarding war seeming to be on the horizon, people were staying home more and more. Most people that were out were simply getting their supplies and heading home. No one was staying around to socialize or browse the shop windows.

Mrs. Weasley caught up with them and ushered them back out into the street again to finish up their lists. A tense silence had developed between Harry and Hermione, and Harry had no idea where it had come from. As he was trying to figure out what could be wrong, Mrs. Weasley guided the pair into another store. It took a moment for Harry to figure out where he was when he looked around at the most brightly coloured shop he had never seen. It seemed as though this shop was the place where everyone in Diagon Alley was hiding. The store was booming with business, customers crowded into every nook and cranny, looking through all the brightly coloured displays and items on the shelves.

"Harry!" The sound of two almost identical voices shouted over the rather large crowd that had accumulated in the small store. Harry looked over the heads of the other patrons to see Fred and George Weasley heading straight for him. The pair shared identical mischievous grins as they made their way through the crowd.

"Harry, so glad you could make it." Fred shook Harry's hand rather enthusiastically before he wrapped an arm around his shoulder and started to lead him towards the back of the store. "Since you are the very reason we are here today, besides our incredibly brilliant ideas of course, we figured that you should be the first to see some of our brand new products. They really are quite brilliant. Of course, you're free to have anything you fancy, since it was your winnings that helped us open our store."

"We've got the best stuff hiding in the back, of course. Most of it isn't ready for the general population just yet and some of it may never see the shelves, but just for our favourite benefactor, you get the pick of whatever we have in stock," George piped up.

"I can't do that," Harry stated.

"Harry, you gave us our start-up capital and we haven't forgotten. Take whatever you like, and just remember to tell people where you got it, if they ask." Fred smiled at Harry and clapped him on the back as the two men showed him to a backroom in the shop hidden behind a dark curtain.

Before disappearing into the room, Harry glanced back to discover that Hermione had somehow managed to find Ron in the dense crowd and was now bickering with him once again. Harry sighed as he was led away. He wasn't sure he'd be able to take any more of it. Ron and Hermione were his best friends and he hated how they were fighting with no end in sight. As the twins showed him product after product, Harry's mind was going over everything that could possibly be done or said to make things go back to how they were before, without having to give up what he had with Hermione. It wasn't an easy task and Harry wasn't sure there was a solution.

Harry's attention was pulled back to the present moment by a little shove from Fred. He looked around at the products lining the shelves which were much more subdued than those in the main room. The products boasted of protection and defense. He spotted a pair of Shield Gloves on a shelf, seemingly the last pair left, as well as a few other products that were of some interest. Harry reached for a canister on the shelf in front of him to inspect it further.

"Ah, yes. That's our Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder you've got there. You just throw it into the air and it covers everything around it in darkness. Handy if you want to make a quick escape. We've got loads more. It's our defensive line of products. We made a Shield Hat for a laugh and the Ministry's been buying them up and ordering more. We couldn't keep up but it gave us a great idea to launch a whole line of defensive stuff. It's been selling really well. Take a jar with you," George explained.

Harry stuffed the canister into his pack, thanking the two of them before Fred was called away to help a customer find a joke cauldron. Even with the state of the wizarding world, they were doing well and for that, Harry was glad. George showed Harry back out to the main room of the shop, spying Hermione over by a line of boxes of Patented Daydream Charms. She had one in her hand, reading the box with wonder.

"Oy! Ginny, get away from there. No sister of mine is going to buy that stuff." Ron's voice cut through Harry's thoughts. He looked over where he spotted her long red hair near the WonderWitch products. One of the girls she was standing with had grabbed a bottle of Love Potion off of the shelf to look at when Ron spotted them.

"Knock it off, Ron. I was only looking. I don't need this stuff to get a date, unlike, perhaps, you." Ginny stuck out her tongue at her brother before she flounced away with a couple of Gryffindor girls in her year.

"One of our latest projects. Love potions. They're a bit on the weak side, but we figured we may get into a lot of hot water with anything stronger, not that we haven't tried it... but you never know. We're waiting to see how well these ones sell," Fred explained. Harry now understood what the big deal was. He supposed that any older brother didn't want their little sister getting involved with anyone. It made a bit of sense in a way. By the time Harry had shaken himself out of his own thoughts and looked up, the twins were gone.

Harry walked around the shop some more, taking in all the sights and sounds. He was amazed at what the twins had done with the money he had given them from the Triwizard Tournament. He knew he'd made the right choice. As he wandered around, he overheard Ginny and Ron arguing over the Love Potions again.

"You've got enough boys on the go," Ron spoke angrily.

"Whatever you think I do or do not have on the go is bollocks. You need to stay out of my business and worry about your own."

"Don't turn this around on me. I saw you standing outside at Quality Quidditch –"

"Enough, Ron. I can take care of myself. I am a Weasley after all," Ginny interrupted. It was clear she was putting an end to this particular argument.

"Ron! Ginny! Harry! It's time to go." Mrs. Weasley called over the crowd as she tried to drag Mr. Weasley away from the display of Muggle magic tricks. Hermione was already waiting at the door when Harry caught up to her.

"He is utterly impossible," Hermione muttered darkly. "He just won't give it up, and he can't be bothered to tell me what's wrong. All he says is 'you know bloody well what'. It's infuriating."

Harry glanced back at Ron and he couldn't help agreeing with Hermione. Ron did have the tendency not to tell anyone what was wrong; making everyone assume what was bothering him, which sometimes wasn't even close to the real reason he was upset. Harry sighed a bit as he and Hermione stepped out of the shop. If things were going to keep up the way they were, this would be one of the worst years at Hogwarts yet.

When Harry stepped out onto the street, he chanced a glance toward Knockturn Alley, wondering if anyone would dare go down there now. As he looked, he spied a shock of blond hair disappear around the corner.

"Hermione! Malfoy." Harry whispered urgently as he discreetly pointed towards the alley. The two of them looked around. Mrs. Weasley had been pulled back into the store by Ginny and were both looking over a cage of pink and purple fluff balls. Mr. Weasley had made his way back to the Muggle magic tricks while Fred and George were nowhere to be seen, likely off helping other customers.

Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out of his bag and after checking to make sure no one was paying them any attention, pulled it over himself and Hermione. They moved quickly down Knockturn Alley, trying to follow Malfoy but they'd already lost him. Harry led them down the alley in hopes of figuring out where he'd disappeared to. Suddenly, Hermione nudged him in the ribs and pointed into the window of Borgin and Burkes. There was Draco Malfoy at the shop counter speaking with Borgin himself. At that moment, Harry wished he had grabbed a pair of Extendable Ears from the twins' shop.

"I wish we could hear what they were saying," Harry whispered as they got closer to the window, trying to read their lips. It was clear that Malfoy was not happy about something and Mr. Borgin didn't look as though he was being very forthcoming with information. Suddenly, Malfoy moved with his back to Harry and Hermione so they were unable to see what was going on, but Mr. Borgin's demeanor seemed to change almost instantly. After a few moments, Malfoy was turning away and leaving the shop. He brushed past Harry and Hermione, just missing them as he strode towards the alley exit.

Harry looked back through the window where Mr. Borgin was still standing at the counter, his face a mask of worry. Whatever it was that Malfoy had said to him clearly had not sat well with the man. Whatever it was, it had unsettled him and now Harry wanted to know what it was.

Unable to come up with any answers where they were, Harry and Hermione decided to head back to Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. Harry whipped off the cloak as they waited outside the doors. Mrs. Weasley came swooping out of the store, demanding to know where the two of them had been. Hermione managed to convince her that they had been standing there the whole time and she must have missed them the first time she was looking.

The group gathered together outside of Fred and George's shop, laden with their parcels of school supplies. It seemed as though everyone was ready to go.


	4. Chapter 4

The piercing sound of the train whistle blew as the Weasley family, Harry and Hermione stepped through the barrier to Platform Nine and Three Quarters in pairs. The area was bustling with students saying goodbye to their parents and loading their things into the compartments. While things seemed as normal as any other year, there was an unspoken somberness to the day. Families pretended as though nothing had changed, but everyone knew they had. As much as they all tried, there was just no ignoring the dire state of the world. There were fewer people on the platform than normally would have been there any other year.

Ron and Ginny hugged their parents goodbye before walking off towards a group of other students Harry didn't recognize. He and Hermione dragged their trunks towards the train in silence. The days following the trip to Diagon Alley hadn't been any easier and Harry's preoccupation with whatever it was that Malfoy was up to was not helping matters. The only progress that had even been made was that at least Ginny and Hermione were talking again, but it still didn't seem the same between them as it had been before. Ginny continued to freeze Harry out, but Hermione largely suspected it had more to do with Ron than with Harry. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been, but it still wasn't pleasant.

Harry pushed his trunk onto the train with Hermione's help before helping her with her own trunk. Hedwig squawked in her cage when Harry bumped it accidentally against the wall. He apologized to her, promising to make it up to her when they got back to Hogwarts. The pair dragged their trunks down the hallway until they found an empty compartment they could share. It seemed, as usual, they had arrived a little too late and almost missed getting their own spot. Harry set Hedwig's cage down on the seat before pushing his trunk up into the luggage storage space. He opened up the cage door to let her out, knowing how much she hated being cooped up in that thing. Hedwig seemed to give Harry a thankful look before she took off out the open window. He quickly shoved her cage up next to his trunk to get it out of the way.

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke through Harry's thoughts. He turned to see Neville and Luna standing in the doorway of their compartment. Neville looked slightly embarrassed, his cheeks taking on a light pink hue. "Hullo Harry, Hermione," he started. "I was wondering if you'd mind if Luna and I joined you. Everywhere else is full."

"Oh, of course Neville. You really needn't ask. I have to head up to the prefects' carriage soon anyway." Hermione smiled gently at the two of them as her and Harry made room. Luna smiled at Harry with her usual glassy, wide eyes before she sat down and pulled out the latest copy of The Quibbler.

"Where are Ron and Ginny? I thought they'd be in here with you too." Neville looked to Hermione inquisitively.

"It's a bit complicated but we've had a bit of a falling out… again," Hermione explained. It really wasn't the first time it had happened. At one point or another, each of them had been in an argument with one of the others, though usually it was just between Ron and Hermione.

After the train started on its way to Hogwarts, Harry excused himself and left the compartment to take a walk. Secretly he was hoping to find out more information on what Malfoy had been up to while in Knockturn Alley. It was a bit of a stretch, but he was known to brag to his friends about that sort of thing. He followed along the hallways of each car, careful to avoid getting knocked over by some of the younger students racing. He was just about to step through into another car when he heard a familiar voice.

"I'm flattered you're asking. I'd love to go with you to Hogsmeade, as long as we're allowed," Ginny's voice carried. Harry glanced through the window in the door and spotted Ginny speaking with Zacharias Smith. It looked as though he'd cornered her away from Ron.

"I don't see why not. We were allowed in third year with that maniac on the loose. Anyway, I figured now that you'd dropped that bespectacled git and that insufferable know-it-all, you'd have more time on your hands." Smith had obviously not thought through what he said to Ginny. The next thing he knew he had been hit with Ginny's famous Bat Bogie Hex which caused bogies to sprout wings and attack him.

"Don't you ever let me hear you talking about Harry and Hermione like that or next time you'll get it worse." Ginny stood over Smith with a fierce look in her eye as he tried to bat away the bogies that continued to dive into him. It was the kind of look that made Harry hope he would never end up on the receiving end of it. Ginny was not a witch to be trifled with and Smith had very clearly made that mistake. He would have to find someone else to take to Hogsmeade now. Ginny's words also had the effect of giving Harry the hope that they could mend their friendships, sooner rather than later. She still defended them with all of her being and broke the rules to do so.

Suddenly, a loud resounding laugh echoed throughout the train car as Harry stepped through the doorway. "Excellent young lady. Quite the powerful curse there."

Harry immediately noticed a short, enormously fat man standing behind Ginny. He had a shiny, bald head with prominent eyes and an enormous silvery walrus-like moustache. He was dressed in an old-fashioned waistcoat with gold buttons and a pair of striped trousers. Harry wasn't sure who this person was, but a thought started to form in his head as he remembered the train ride at the beginning of his third year. Remus had been aboard on that trip and with Umbridge gone; they would need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

"Horace Slughorn's the name, but of course, you can address me as Professor." Ginny's face suddenly blanched at his statement, turning her almost as white as a sheet. She had broken the rules and may have ended up in serious trouble having been caught by a professor. No one would have thought a teacher would be aboard the Hogwarts Express.

"Ah ah, no need to worry about this," Slughorn said with a little chuckle at Ginny's horrified expression. "I'm sure he had it coming. Now, young lady, I am meeting with some of your fellow students for a late lunch in my compartment later on. Why don't you join us, hmm?"

Ginny simply nodded in disbelief and shock. It wasn't every day that a professor overlooked rule breaking in favour of inviting a student to lunch. It was at that point that Harry started wondering about this professor and what he would be like in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He didn't come across as someone who would be interested in the subject, but neither had Professor Quirrell. Of course, he turned out to be someone completely different than expected in the end. Slughorn could very well turn out to be one of the best, but they wouldn't find out until they got into the classroom with him. If necessary, Harry would start up Dumbledore's Army again this year. He didn't want anyone of his friends or allies to be unprepared for the upcoming war.

Harry glanced at Ginny to find her looking back at him with a contemplative look before she turned away and headed back to her compartment. Well, at least she hadn't given him an icy stare as she had a few weeks ago. It was progress and he would take it.

When Harry made it back to his compartment, he found Hermione sitting with Neville and Luna while Luna was explaining what a Wrackspurt was. It looked as though Hermione was trying very hard not to correct Luna's views on a creature that was not known to exist in the wizarding world. Harry took his seat next to Neville as thoughts started swimming in his head. There was so much going on that Harry felt like his head was swimming. There was the situation with Ron and Ginny, the suspicious actions of Draco Malfoy, and a mysterious announcement that was to be made once they were back at Hogwarts. It was a lot to wrap his head around.

Harry was particularly preoccupied with what Malfoy was up to. Hermione had already written the trip to Knockturn Alley off as nothing more than Malfoy being a spoiled brat wanting something he couldn't have. Harry, on the other hand, was sure it was something more than that. Malfoy was up to something and Harry was determined to find out what it was. He came up with a plan to sneak into Malfoy's compartment with his Invisibility Cloak to hopefully overhear him talking with his friends about whatever it was he was up to. Harry was determined to get to the bottom of it all. As Harry focused on the issue of Malfoy, several ideas began floating around in his head. The most prominent came from something Hermione had said about Lucius Malfoy being a Death Eater and perhaps Malfoy was trying to use that to get something he wanted from Borgin. It sprouted the idea in his head that Malfoy was now a Death Eater, replacing his father who had been sent to Azkaban. Hermione had been quick to dismiss that idea, but Harry couldn't let it go.

"Umm… Excuse me?" Harry looked up to find a meek third-year girl. "I'm supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and Harry P-Potter," she stammered. She held out two rolled up pieces of parchment, each tied with a purple ribbon. Neville reached forward and took them both, handing Harry's to him. The girl quickly turned and left, shutting the door behind her, nearly tripping on her own robes while leaving.

Harry unrolled the parchment and read the invitation to join Professor Slughorn for lunch in compartment C. He glanced up a Neville, who looked perplexed by his invitation. He was hardly ever invited to anything prestigious.

Once it was getting close to lunch time, both Harry and Neville got up from their seats in the compartment and headed towards compartment C. The corridors were packed with students on the lookout for the lunch trolley and it was hard to get through the crowd without brushing against someone or asking them to politely move out of the way. Along with the crowds came the staring. Ever since the end of the previous year, it seemed to have gotten worse. News of Harry's exploits at the Ministry of Magic and confirmation that Voldemort was indeed back as he had been saying since the end of his fourth year, had spread quickly amongst the wizarding community. It seemed that Harry could not go anywhere without garnering some sort of attention. The only person who wasn't trying to get a better look at him was Cho Chang, who disappeared back into her compartment as soon as she saw Harry coming towards her. When Harry passed the window, he could see the curse Hermione had put on Cho's friend Marietta was still in effect, though she had tried to cover the odd formation of pimples with a thick layer of makeup. He had to admit to himself that it did cheer him up slightly to see that. When they arrived at the compartment, they saw that they were not the only ones who had been invited for the meal. Harry had already known Ginny would be there, but there was more than just the three of them. Professor Slughorn stood almost immediately and met them at the door.

"Ah! Harry! Good to see you, good to see you! I've been looking forward to meeting you at last." Slughorn enthusiastically greeted him with a shake of Harry's hand before turning to Neville. "And you must be Mr. Longbottom!"

"Um… yes. Hullo sir," Neville answered nervously as Slughorn directed them to the two remaining seats. Harry looked around the compartment and recognized only a few people. There was a Slytherin from his year and a Gryffindor a year ahead of him, but he couldn't recall either of their names.

"Now, I suppose we should go around the table and introduce everyone," Slughorn chimed in. "Of course, everyone here knows Mr. Potter." Slughorn gave Harry an encouraging smile before moving on. "Mr. Neville Longbottom, sixth year Gryffindor. Next to him are Marcus Belby, Blaise Zabini, Cormac McLaggen, and Ms. Ginevra Weasley." Harry could see Ginny grimace slightly as Slughorn used her given name.

"Now that we're all introduced, we can get down to getting to know each other a little better. Harry, before you got here, I was telling Marcus that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles." Slughorn turned back to Marcus Belby as he divided up a lunch he pulled from a wicker basket made up of pheasant and what looked to be some sort of cheesy noodle concoction. "Outstanding wizard and well deserving of his Order of Merlin. Inventing the Wolfsbane Potion was quite the accomplishment. Do you see much of him?"

Marcus looked down at his plate as the pheasant was placed on it before answering, "No, not much. Him and dad don't get along on account of my dad's potions being rubbish." He stabbed at the meat in front of him and started to eat as Slughorn smiled coolly and turned his attention to Cormac. It was clear that Slughorn was no longer interested in Belby.

"What about you, Cormac, do you see much of your Uncle Tiberius these days?"

"Yes sir. I'm meant to go nogtail hunting with him, Bertie Higgs and the Minister for Magic over the holidays in Norfolk." Cormac answered smoothly.

As Slughorn made his way around the room, Harry's suspicions were confirmed. Nearly everyone there was connected to someone well-known or influential in the wizarding world, except for Ginny. Blaise Zabini had a famously beautiful mother who had been left large sums of money from her seven husbands who had all died mysteriously. Neville's parents had been well-known and extraordinary Aurors but after talking with him, it seemed as though Slughorn was reserving opinion of him. Neville hadn't really shown much of his parents' flair the entire time Harry had known him, except, as far as he was concerned, while they had fought at the Ministry last year.

Finally, Slughorn turned to Harry with a large smile. "And Harry Potter. Where do I begin? I knew your mother – one of my best students. She was a very talented witch, and muggle-born too. Not to say that that would have any bearing except that she would have had no prior training to coming to Hogwarts. Your father, too, had a great talent but never really put much mind to schooling you know. I was sad to hear of what happened to them – that terrible night. You though – you survived. There have been rumors for years, of course, that you must have powers beyond the ordinary – 'The Chosen One' there now calling you. Remarkable!"

Harry's face flushed with embarrassment as Slughorn continued on. "And I hear – though one can never really know since _The Prophet_ has been known to print inaccuracies, but there are more than enough witness accounts – that you were involved in the disturbance at the Ministry. And then there is talk of this fabled prophecy –"

"We never heard a prophecy," Neville spoke up, turning bright pink as he did.

"That's right. Neville and I were both there. All this 'Chosen One' rubbish is just the Prophet over exaggerating to sell more copies. Harry is just like any other wizard his age and extraordinarily brave, as any Gryffindor should be," Ginny said resolutely, attempting to take the attention away from both Harry and Neville, both of whom looked like they would rather be anywhere else than the center of attention in that room.

"Oh, ho, you were both there too, were you?" This seemed to garner more of Slughorn's interest in the two Gryffindors. "Well, it is true that the Prophet often exaggerates. I remember sitting down with dear Gwenog – Ms. Jones of the Holyhead Harpies – and she told me…"

Slughorn went off on a long-winded tale about the Quidditch player and her dealings with the paper. Harry was thankful that Ginny had managed to distract him from talking more about Harry, but he had the distinct impression that Slughorn wasn't through with him just yet. The rest of the afternoon petered away as Slughorn regaled them tales about his favorite students who had gone on to do remarkable things or become renowned wizards and witches. Harry wanted to leave but was unsure how to do so politely. It wasn't until Slughorn noticed through the windows that the sun was setting that he finally started to wind things down.

"Dear, dear. I didn't realize it was so late. Well, off you all go. We'll be arriving at Hogsmeade before you know it." Slughorn gave them all a handshake as they left the compartment and headed back to their own.

"Well, that was…" Ginny started, pausing to try and find the right word. "Interesting? Who would ever imagine that someone could talk for so long without everyone in the room falling asleep?"

Neville snorted in laughter as he looked at Ginny. Harry looked at her, not really having heard what she'd said. His thoughts had drifted to the fight between him, Hermione and Ron. He'd been so hopeful that they would have a peaceful year at Hogwarts so that he could forget, just for a little while, the state of the world and what he would be expected to do. His future had already been written for him and the words of the prophecy weighed heavily on his mind.

"He seemed to take a liking to you," Neville commented as they walked down the hallway. "I don't think he really cared too much about me." He seemed a bit downtrodden.

"Oh Neville. He may not see it but I'm sure you have more of your parents in you than anyone realises. It's just because it's not obvious to everyone," Ginny tried to cheer him up. "You are brave, kind and powerful in your own right. It just takes some people a little longer to see it."

They made it back to their compartment with Ginny deciding to join them after she complained loudly about Seamus and Dean talking Quidditch the whole morning. Neville had invited her and she accepted as an excuse to not have to listen to the two fight about which team was the better Quidditch team this year. Ginny took her seat next to Luna and the five Hogwarts students continued their journey back to the school. For the rest of the trip, his friends had managed to distract Harry from the Malfoy situation.


End file.
